


Black Starr & Hutch Ride Again

by mvernet



Series: Blue Steel & Blue Sky [3]
Category: Starsky & Hutch
Genre: 70's Kitchen Appliances, AU Starsky & Hutch's Childhood Memories, Bolivia - Freeform, Canon-Typical Violence, Cuddling, Declarations Of Love, Developing Relationship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode Related, Explicit Language, Friendship/Love, Happy Childhood Memories, Horses, Hugging, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, Lonliness, M/M, Post-The Fix, References to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, References to Drugs, Rodeos, Shyness, Unhappy Childhood Memories, lovelovelove
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-10
Updated: 2015-01-10
Packaged: 2018-03-06 13:48:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3136691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mvernet/pseuds/mvernet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's a rerun of Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid on TV tonight. Starsky & Hutch get out the air popped popcorn machine and settle in to watch.</p><p>Takes place 6 weeks after The Fix, Starsky & Hutch are still recovering from their ordeal. Can love heal all wounds?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. No "I" in T E A M

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own or have any rights to Starsky & Hutch. I do not own a Red Torino with a white stripe. I did own a 1970 Gold Torino with a worked 351 Cleaveland. Man, that car could MOVE! And the backseat could tell some tales, I tell Ya!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've never seen "Butch Cassidy & The Sundance KId", you may not know that this is what Starsky is referring to when he says that Hutch and him could always go to South America and rob banks. I recommend watching it. It's a wonderful movie with amazing acting and dialog. But the end is hard to take. I tried not to spoil it.

_Man, Dobey's steamed! I never seen him so mad, and that's saying a lot! ___

Starsky & Hutch were in Dobey's office. Hutch was sitting in a chair, leaning forward feet apart, arms folded across his chest, and head down. Starsky glanced at him. _Not good. _He watched as Hutch's leg bounced up and down.__

_Not good at all. ___

Starsky was hiding in the corner, leaning on the file cabinet. Tracing his name absently in the light coating of dust, "I wish I could fade into the woodwork." he sighed quietly.

.oOOo.

That afternoon, they had tracked down a lowlife, drug lord wannabe, who's stuff had been cut with rat poison. He had been framed, but was still going away for a long, long time, and the real murderer was already dead at the hands of the dealer. It was a good bust. Rock solid. Starsky and Hutch along with Dobey and two backup units, closed in to make the arrest. The deaths of young users had made the headlines and Dobey wanted the arrest done by the book. Hutch wasn't listening.

When Starsky pulled up to the scene, Hutch jumped out of the Torino before it even stopped. He ran to the dealer's apartment and broke down the door with an adrenalin fired kick. The dealer had a gun, and Hutch lunged for him, forgetting all police protocol, forgetting he had a gun too. The dealer hit Hutch with the butt of his gun causing blood to stream into Hutch's eyes. Two wild shots went off before Hutch knocked him out cold. Hutch stood panting, staring at an empty syringe on the table and wiping blood from his eyes and into his hair. 

_He's just like me._

Hutch picked up the syringe.

_Seems like everyone has a name for what Ben Forrest did to me. The police psychiatrist called it, my ordeal. Dobey called it, that Forrest incident, like I was attacked by squirrels or something. Starsky called it, my kidnapping, like a sorrowful parent. I call it, The time when Starsky and everyone else found out how weak and useless I really am. I became a junky and I live with that failure everyday. ___

Hutch threw the syringe across the room. 

Starsky had finally made it to the apartment stairs when he heard the shots. "No, God, no." he prayed. Each stair on the seemingly endless staircase brought another question. 

_Why did Hutch do this? Why didn't he wait for me? What the hell was going on in his brain? Easy bust, nothing to get excited about. Hutch, Babe, why are you being so careless? Do you want to die?_

The last thought took him all the way to the door of the apartment. He took in the scene and Hutch's bloody hair.

"Hutch! You... you hit? Are you hurt? Why did you... I thought you got shot... why the hell you playin' the hero, huh? You got a deathwish or somethin' ?" Starsky blurted out. Starsky regretted getting angry immediately.

Hutch didn't answer. He walked passed Starsky. Starsky made to grab his arm, saying quietly, "Hey." Hutch jerked away, ran out of the apartment and down the stairs. He passed the other Cops and Dobey, ignoring their questions and shouts. He ran passed the Torino and kept on running. He ran several blocks before Starsky cut him off with his car.

"Get in, Blondie!" Starsky called to Hutch. "You can't outrun this. You might as well let me take you for a ride." Hutch got into the car, trying to catch his breath, and looked sheepishly at Starsky. 

"Starsk, I screwed up... I'm so screwed up!" Hutch leaned his head back and closed his eyes, trying to slow down his breathing. His head was pounding. 

"I love you, anyway, Babe." Starsky reached over and grabbed Hutch's shoulder. Hutch grabbed for Starsky's hand like it was a lifeline. "Still, Starsk, still?" asked Hutch. His eyes closed tighter.

"Always." Starsky put the Torino in gear, turned on a dime, and headed back to the station.

.oOOo.

Hutch was silent, making Dobey yell even louder.

"Hutchinson! You don't work alone! No one in this department works alone! You endangered yourself and the case. You endangered other cops, you endangered Starsky..." 

Hutch's leg stopped bouncing. Starsky straightened. _Hutch is gonna blow any minute! _He tensed his body.__

"There's no "I" in T E A M, Hutchinson!" Dobey took a breather.

_Here it comes! ___

Hutch sprung from his chair, chest heaving, finger pointing, eyes like headlights bearing down on Dobey from the wrong side of the road.

"There's no "I" in FUCK YOU, either!" Hutch screamed out.

"Shitshitshitshitshit!" Starsky jumped between Dobey and Hutch like he was taking a bullet in the back to save Hutch's life. Starsky grabbed his Partner roughly and made Hutch look into his steel blue eyes.

"Apologize! NOW!" Starsky yelled and both Captain Dobey and Detective Sergeant Hutchinson jumped.

Hutch's eyes grew wild with rage and fear. Starsky stared him down. The cold steel blue in Starsky's eyes, softened to wide pools of healing waters. Hutch melted into them.

"I...I...I'm...sss...sorry, Captain." Hutch crumpled back into the chair. Hutch cleared his throat to gain some composure. "I apologize." Hutch went back to hanging his head.

Dobey and Starsky exchanged looks. Both had noticed the stuttering. Dobey felt like a heal.

_After all Hutch went through. He doesn't need this. _Starsky gave Dobey a barely noticeable nod that Dobey took to mean, _I got this, Captain, just let it go. _____

"I accept your apology, son. Take the weekend, you too, Starsky. Go home, clean up and relax. You sure you don't need to see a Doctor, Hutch?" Hutch shook his head without looking up. "We'll talk on Monday, bright and early. Now get out of my office!" Dobey pointed at the door.

Before all this went down, Starsky had planned a nice evening for him and Hutch. There was no way he was going to let Hutch go home and sulk. And Starsky didn't have a chance to check out Hutch's head injury yet. _Stubborn, Blintz. Well, time to act the fool! ___

Hutch quietly rose and headed towards Dobey's door, but Starsky got in front of him and turned, putting a hand on Hutch's chest, gently stopping him from leaving. Hutch stopped and looked at him.

"Hey, Partner, Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid is on TV tonight. Wanna come over and watch it with me?" Starsky was smiling and bouncing in the doorway. Dobey looked up at Starsky and smiled. He knew exactly what Starsky was doing.

"I don't know, buddy, I...I'm..." Hutch wanted to crawl under a rock alone and die. Preferably several times.

Starsky ignored Hutch. He looked towards the Captain. 

"You know I must have seen that picture ten times in the movie theater. I just love it." Starsky made like he was shooting a six shooter, blowing the smoke off the end.

Hutch was being pulled towards Starsky's magnetism like always.

"You paid to see a movie tt...ten times?" Starsky noticed the stutter, again. He had to get Hutch to his place tonight.

"I never said I PAID to see it ten times." Starsky sent a shit eating grin in Dobey's direction.

"Hutch, you better watch it with him or he'll never get out of here!" Dobey chuckled.

Hutch smiled in the face of defeat. "OK, what time?" Starsky let Hutch pass and closed Dobey's door with a wink.

"I drove, remember? Just come home with me and spend the night." he said quietly. "I'll buy you dinner. Chinese take out. There's a new restaurant near my place I've been wanting to try, supposed to have some vegetarian stuff, too. I'll buy you some of that toe-goo crap you like." Starsky placed his hand at the small of Hutch's back as they made their way out the squad room doors.

"Tofu, Starsk." Hutch laughed.

"Yeah, like I said, toe-goo, rubbery, slimy toe-goo. And you left your hairdryer popcorn maker at my house. I'll make us some of that for the movie. I hope it doesn't blow the fuse like last time, stupid thing." Starsky guided Hutch out of the hall doors.

Starsky had actually planned all this in advance. He had shopped for snacks. The air popped popcorn machine was already on the counter, beer and soft drinks in the fridge. He already stopped by the new restaurant and looked over the menu, talking to the chef and picking out something Hutch would like. He had told them to have it ready at 7:00 and he would pick it up.

Starsky got Hutch safely into the Torino and started the engine. _Sure glad he didn't make a run for it. _Starsky gave Hutch a smile. Hutch gave a small smile back.__

Hutch looked down at his slightly trembling hands and tried to still them. _He's so great, I love him so much, he deserves better than a messed up jerk like me. ___

Starsky noticed the slightly trembling hands of his partner. _I love him so much, why can't he see how great he is? ___

.oOOo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I wanted to show how Hutch struggled after The Fix. I think he would have felt he was a failure and blamed himself. But Starsky would show him that he never failed. He was the hero he always was in Starsky's eyes. Love conquers all!
> 
> The line "There's no "I" in Fuck You!" comes from a good friend and co-worker of mine. At one of those terrible 'pep talk' meetings given by the moronic manager at my last job, the manager said the old cliche' "There's no "I" in TEAM. My friend leaned over and whispered in my ear "There's no "I" in Fuck You, either." I nearly peed my pants keeping from laughing. Hope you think it's funny, too. Remember it for your next boring work meeting!


	2. Tofu with Barrels of Love

While Hutch was in the shower, Starsky set the table and put out the food. The new Chinese restaurant, had added in a lot of little extras, obviously trying to impress. They had put in jasmine tea bags, almond cookies, fortune cookies and little colorful candies made of rice. Starsky emptied everything on to the table and put on water for the tea. He reached under the counter for his first aid kit. Hutch's head needed to be looked at. His pupils checked. Starsky knew the routine.

Hutch came into the kitchen wearing his own red robe which was hanging in the bathroom. Half of Hutch's clothes were here. Neither of them ever gave any thing back and always took whatever they needed from each others closets. Hutch & Starsky liked it that way, but neither of them ever mentioned it.

Hutch sniffed the air. "Yummmmm, Starsky, this smells really good!" Hutch started to poke around at the food containers.

"Smell this, Pal." Starsky brought over two mugs of Jasmine tea. He handed one to Hutch who breathed in the pungent, flowery steam.

"Oh, Starsk. This smells heavenly! Thank you, you went to a lot of trouble just for me."

"You..." Starsky put his mug down and reached for the antibiotic ointment, "...are worth it. Now sit down and let me look at your head, then we'll eat." Hutch started to protest, but Starsky put a fortune cookie in his mouth. Hutch laughed and pulled out the fortune. 'You will meet a man who will bring you much joy.' They sure got that right, Starsk... Ow! And pain! What are you doing?" cried Hutch.

"Sorry, Buddy, some of your hair is stuck in the wound. I must of pulled it out too quick." Starsky started applying ointment, and finished up with a small bandage to keep the wound clean. "It looks OK, doesn't need stitches. What did he hit you with?"

"His gun." said Hutch. Starsky stared at him, Hutch tried to look away. Starsky held his chin up forcing Hutch to look at him.

"This has to end, Hutch. Your carelessness, putting yourself in danger. What happened to you was not your fault. At all. Period. Don't you know I need you? Whole and by my side. I'm nothing without you. Just another dumb cop. With you by my side, I'm something special. You're that special, Hutch. Why can't you see what I see?"

Before Hutch could break away, Starsky kissed him. Full and on the lips. He knew he was breaking the rules. Hutch had explained it to Starsky. He said he loved Starsky, but since neither of them were gay or had any other experiences with men, or even ever felt this way with any one else of either sex, they must love each other on a purely spiritual level. Soul mates. Maybe they had loved each other many times before and couldn't help loving each other this time around too. Hutch pointed out how difficult their life would be if they acted on their feelings. They could lose their jobs, maybe even be killed on the streets. Hutch had meditated about it. 

Starsky had agreed. Hutch wasn't rejecting him. He was just as in love with Starsky as Starsky was with Hutch. Hutch was being, cautious, being sensitive, being Hutch.

And Starsky was sure it was all bullshit. He loved Hutch, he wanted Hutch. He didn't really need to know why. No labels fit. Starsky wanted all life had to give him. And life had given him Hutch. They both kept trying to live a normal life, trying to find a woman who fit. Some came real close. But they were always sent hurtling back to each other's arms for comfort and love.

Ben Forrest had taken a part of Hutch that belonged to Starsky. An important part that Starsky missed. Starsky wanted it back. He wanted Hutch's world to be beautiful again. Wanted Hutch's vision to turn rosy again. Love, love was the only cure for Hutch. And Starsky had barrels of it to give him. They could work out the details later.

Starsky finished the kiss with a soft sensuous licking of Hutch's astonished smile and a caressing of his face. Starsky pulled away and was instantly hit by those Baby Blues. Starsky could fly right into that endless sky and never return. He took a breath, and put on his most devilish grin.

"Let's eat, Blondie. I'm starving." Starsky started to whistle and set about piling up both their plates. Starsky sneaked a look at his Partner.

First, Hutch looked like he wanted to say something. Then he touched his lips briefly. He glanced at Starsky, then looked at the plate placed in front of him, piled high with egg rolls, Tofu with Chinese Vegetables and House Special Fried Rice. Hutch pulled his chair closer to the table and picked up a pair of chopsticks.

"Starsk?" Starsky looked up from his food, his mouth full of sweet and sour pork. "I'm starving, too." Hutch reached out for Starsky's hand and Starsky took it and squeezed. Then it happened. Hutch smiled. A real light up Bay City smile.

Starsky knew he almost had his Hutch back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Honk, I mean hit Kudos if you love Starsky & Hutch! Fanfiction writers need love too!


	3. Blue Steel & Blue Sky

Starsky and Hutch had pushed their plates away and were done laughing over their fortune cookies. They both knew they would make their own future and include each other in it.

Hutch went to put on a t-shirt and sweat pants and search the bathroom for some aspirin. He had one doozy of a headache, but nothing would spoil this evening.

Hutch looked at his bandaged head in the mirror. There was a trace of blood in his hair, and shadows still lingered under his eyes. Then his eyes landed on his own lips.

_Starsky kissed me! I can hardly believe it! I feel like a teenager again. Better than that. One kiss and I feel like there's nothing wrong in my whole universe. Wonder what I'll feel like when we... _Hutch blushed at his own vivid thoughts.__

_One step at a time, Hutchinson! ___

Hutch entered the kitchen picked up his teacup of Jasmine tea and downed three aspirins with the dregs. Starsky was rummaging through his kitchen cabinets looking for the popcorn and complaining loudly.

"Popcorn, Hutch! It was in a brown and white tin with POPCORN on it. In giant letters. How can it be hard to find?" Starsky banged some pots around.

Hutch looked around. He craned his neck and spotted the tin on top of the fridge. It had been pushed to the back.

_It's nice to be so tall, sometimes. I'll hand it to Starsky at just the right moment. Just before he gets out his gun and starts to shoot up his kitchen. _Hutch leaned back on the fridge to enjoy the show.__

Starsky was sitting on the kitchen floor surrounded by pots, pans and small appliances. He was holding a bright orange electric wok, brandishing the cord like a whip.

"Why, Hutch, why is all your crap in my kitchen! This wok thing. Yours." Starsky banged the cord into the wok and slammed the lid.

"This yogurt maker, definitely yours." The little glass yogurt cups made a horrible clinking noise when Starsky slid it across the floor towards Hutch. Hutch caught it with his bare foot and held back a chuckle. He said nothing.

"And this thing! I hate this thing! It sounds like ten machine guns going off during a nuclear explosion!" Hutch's yellow and rust peanut butter maker hit the floor with a noisy clatter as all the pieces fell off the base.

Starsky got on his hands and knees and stuck his head in the cabinet. Hutch enjoyed the view with a new appreciation. His heart skipped a beat as Starsky wiggled, struggling with something at the back of the cabinet. Hutch quickly reached up and grabbed the popcorn tin. He couldn't take much more of this.

"Hutch! Remember when you made me lend you half the money for that huge food processor with the hundreds of parts? Remember you said you'd make me fresh homemade pizza with extra everything anytime of the day or night?" Starsky pulled and landed on his backside on the floor. The food processor and all its parts flying all over the kitchen. 

"Why is it in the back of my cabinet?" Starsky tilted his head back and looked up at Hutch.

Hutch moved swiftly towards Starsky, bent over and kissed him upside down. Hutch pressed the popcorn tin into Starsky's lap. and kissed him again, gently holding onto Starsky's neck and fingering his soft curls.

"Why's all my stuff here?" Hutch kissed Starsky's forehead. "Because you are open, and giving." Hutch kissed Starsky's nose. "Because you let me into your life." Hutch kissed Starsky's cheek. "Because you are my best friend." Hutch kissed Starsky's other cheek. "Because I love you, Starsk." Hutch kissed his lips again.

Starsky's muscular arms grabbed Hutch and pulled him to the floor. Hutch landed with his head on Starsky's lap. The popcorn tin went flying. Starsky's kiss was powerful and strong. He took control and entered Hutch's mouth, exploring and tasting essence of Hutch.

Hutch was simply undone. He never felt such warmth such passion aimed at him. He felt he was worth something. If Starsky loved him like this, he must be worth something. Hutch never felt that way before. Never knew a love that was accepting of him. Starsky loved him no matter what. Unconditional. Hutch reveled in the strange feeling. Hutch kissed back with everything he had.

Starsky finally pulled away, trying to catch his breath. He looked into Hutch's eyes. Steel piercing blue sky. Sky holding up blue steel.

Hutch looked away first. "I'll box up my stuff and take it home, Starsk." Hutch said suddenly feeling very shy.

"Don't!" said Starsky. "Why don't you just move in, Babe."

"I want to... bb...but..." Hutch started.

"I know, Babe, It's OK. Hey, it's almost 9:00! You get comfy on the couch. I'll make the popcorn." said Starsky. Hutch looked a little lost.

"Hutch, we'll take it slow, OK? We're in this for the long haul. Let's enjoy the movie." Hutch nodded and made his way to the couch.

Starsky started the popcorn.

_Hutch is the toughest bad-ass I know. But with me he's so fragile. I could blow him away with a word. Or try to show him what a treasure he is. ___

Starsky turned on Hutch's air popped, healthy popcorn machine. The fuse blew.

"HHHHHUTCH!!!!" screamed Starsky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> I personally have owned each and every 70's appliance mentioned in this story, plus a lot more! My Hutch, (my Husband of 35 years) was a big fan of making healthy food from scratch, and owned every stupid "Maker" on the market. I'm more the Starsky type, Pizza and gas station hot dogs are my idea of good food. I still have the noisy peanut butter maker hidden in a box in the basement. Don't let Hutch know!


	4. Black Starr & Hutch

Fuse changed. Popcorn popped. Snacks on the coffee table. A Yoo-Hoo in his hand, and his other hand playing in Hutch's silky hair. Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid had started and Starsky was in heaven.

"Like my snack spread, Hutch?" Starsky was proud. He had M&M's, Twizzlers, Cheese Doodles, Potato Sticks and Hutch's healthy popcorn. Yoo-Hoo to drink.

Hutch eyed his Yoo-Hoo chocolate drink. It was pretty good.

"Really, nice, Starsk. You said this drink is imported?" asked Hutch.

"Yeah, all the way from Queens! Ma sends them to me." Starsky clinked bottles with Hutch and winked. Hutch was more a caviar and Champagne man, but he wouldn't change a thing.

"Hutch did you have a cowboy name when you played cowboy as a kid?" asked Starsky.

"Did you?" Hutch imagined a little Starsky with a toy gun and a cowboy hat. He smiled warmly.

"Yeah... Black Starr... with 2 r's." Starsky popped some M&M's into his mouth.

"Black Starr, huh." said Hutch.

"Yeah, yeah, with 2 r's. I used to have one of those broomsticks with a horse head on it, you know. I named it 'Tex'. I loved that thing. He was a good horsey. And good in a fight. That broomstick packed a wallop. Nick was afraid of him. It was great. Now tell me your cowboy name." Starsky insisted,

Hutch took an M&M from Starsky's palm, threw it into the air and caught it in his mouth.

"Hutch." he said.

"What? No, come on tell me!" Starsky poked Hutch's arm. 

"Hutch! Hutch was my cowboy name! Really, Black Starr. It's a good cowboy name and it's only one letter away from 'Butch'." Starsky thought a minute.

"Hutch were you a real cowboy? Can you ride and rope? Did you learn to shoot on the range?" Starsky was getting really excited.

"Golly, Pard. Guess you could say that. I used to work summers at Colonel Conrad's Rodeo. Learned me to ride, rope and shoot a fly off a bear's nose." Hutch threw a cowboy smile at his Partner.

"Wow, A real rodeo?" Starsky was mightily impressed.

Hutch laughed. "Well, the Colonel owned a horse ranch about 30 miles from my father's house. He ran this little tourist trap rodeo in the summer. Hired local kids, did lots of family type shows. Nothing really dangerous. He had some real rodeo Cowboys working for him too. When I was 15, I ran away from home. Ended up at the rodeo. The Colonel gave me a job. I slept in the barn at night so I wouldn't have to go home. I got real hungry waiting for my first paycheck. I didn't want to steal any food, so I ate stuff from the concession stand's garbage. The Colonel must of found out because he told me I could eat with the Cowboys as part of my pay. I guess he must of told my Father where I was because no one ever came looking for me. The Cowboys taught me to shoot, trick ride, rope calves, and how to be a rodeo clown."

"What's a rodeo clown, Hutch?" said Starsky,

"It's like security actually. You dress up like a clown, and do funny tricks to make the audience laugh. But you're really watching the Cowboys and making sure they aren't hurt or in trouble. You might have to distract an angry bull, or keep a hurt Cowboy from being trampled. But most of the time it's just plain fun. Those were the best summers of my life. The Colonel was the first person to call me Hutch." Starsky put an arm around Hutch and pulled him closer.

Starsky heart went out to his friend who had to run away from home to find the kindness he needed. He imagined a shy, lonely blond boy, sleeping with the horses instead of in his own bedroom. Starsky kissed Hutch's cheek just to make him smile.

"Raindrops are falling on my head." Starsky started to sing along with the TV. Hutch joined in.

"But that doesn't mean my eyes will soon be turning red." 

"Crying's not for me."  


"Those raindrops are falling on my head, they keep falling..." 

"Hey, Hutch. You think Butch ever did it with Sundance's girl?" Starsky asked,

"Well, maybe. Maybe before she knew Sundance. Maybe she was using them both. Sundance trusts Butch." answered Hutch.

"I don't think she really loves either of them, if she really loved them she wouldn't leave." said Starsky.

"You might be right, Starsk." said Hutch, thoughtfully.

"Butch and Sundance stay together till the end, now that's love, partner." Starsky got up to get a couple of beers. He'd seen this movie 11 times now and the ending never got easier to watch. Beer was needed.

Starsky handed Hutch a beer and gave him a quick kiss before turning his attention back to the TV. This time Hutch put his arms around Starsky and held on tight. They both knew what was in store for Butch and Sundance in Bolivia.

"Starsky, do you ever think about leaving the force?" asked Hutch.

"Sure. Every Monday. But then I think about leaving you and I can't do it." said Starsky.

"If you ever want to leave, partner, I'll leave too." said Hutch.

"Same here, babe. We can always go to South America and rob banks." said Starsky.

Starsky and Hutch got quiet as the movie ended and Butch and Sundance faded into the past.

.oOOo.

After another beer, Starsky was still talking about Cowboys. Hutch's head was beginning to throb again. Starsky noticed.

"You, OK, Blintz? Are you dizzy?" Starsky was concerned, even a mild concussion can cause problems sometimes.

"My head hurts, Starsk, yeah, things are getting kinda foggy around the edges." Hutch closed his eyes.

"Let's get you to bed. I'll get you some more aspirins." Starsky stood and offered a hand to Hutch.

"S...Starsk, will you sleep with me? In the bed I mean? I know we haven't decided anything..." Hutch hesitated.

"Take it easy, Blintz. Don't over think it, you'll make your headache worse. We've shared the bed before. I always like to sleep with you." Starsky helped Hutch get into bed, gave him aspirins and turned out the light. Starsky went to take a shower and get into pajama pants.

Starsky knew he had to be careful with Hutch. If Starsky hurt him, even unintentionally, Hutch would run. Starsky didn't want to think about what Hutch might do. Starsky believed his love could heal Hutch. But Starsky was scared. He looked at Hutch who was lying on the bed, eyes open and staring out the window. The moon gently touched his face with reflective light. His hair took on a silvery shine and his eyes an unearthly glow.

_He looks so freakin' beautiful. ___

Starsky took a deep breath. Walked to the bed and sat on the edge. 

"Starsk," Hutch continued to stare at the moon. "I'd do anything for you. I'd quit the force, I'd buy a house with you, I'd go to Bolivia, I'd rob banks... and I'd leave. I...I'd leave... that might be for the b...best. I want you to have the b...best. You deserve it, Starsky." Hutch turned his gaze towards Starsky.

Starsky's face was unreadable. He felt angry. He felt scared. But most of all he felt a deep sense of possessive protectiveness towards his hurting partner.

_Hutch is mine. ___

Starsky's mind was racing. _Nobody takes him away from me, not even Hutch himself. How did this man, this strong, caring, loving, loyal, golden Cowboy, end up so broken? I could strangle everyone who ever hurt him. I could lock him in my arms and never let him go. _Starsky turned slightly and met Hutch's gaze. Hutch inhaled sharply. Starsky pointed at Hutch's heart.__

"You...are...staying... right...by...my ...side." Starsky poked Hutch's chest with each word. "Where you belong. You want me to have the best? You are the best! The best cop on the force. The best man I've ever met. The best friend I ever had. The best partner a Cowboy could ever have. I'm Butch and you're Sundance. I'm Black Starr and you're Hutch. Together till the last scene. Till the screen goes black." Starsky put his hand flat against Hutch's heart. "Do you understand?"

Hutch was on the brink of tears. He couldn't find his voice. He nodded weakly.

"SAY IT!" Starsky said loudly.

"Yes, I...I understand!" Starsky wrapped his arms around Hutch while healing tears washed away Hutch's pain.

Starsky woke in the morning with a golden Cowboy softly smiling in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LoVeLoVeLoVe, All you need is LoVe!
> 
> Sorry, Hutch, I made you cry again! Starsky will make it all betters. Yum!
> 
> Thanks for reading! Show your LoVe with Kudos or Comments!
> 
> Fanfiction writers need love too!


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